Insertable surgical imaging device

Abstract

A body-insertable imaging device includes a first camera that comprises a first image sensor and a first lens to pass incident light onto the first image sensor, a control interface to receive a remotely generated control signal, and an actuator communicatively coupled to the control interface and configured to support the camera and manipulate the camera about a pan axis, a tilt axis, and along a zoom direction in response to the control signal while the camera and actuator are within a body cavity, wherein the zoom direction extends out from a distal end of the body-insertable camera.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a body-insertable imaging device including a stereo camera, the stereo camera comprising:
 a first image sensor and a second image sensor within a shared implantable housing having a first lens opening and a second lens opening; 
 a first lens configured to pass incident light onto the first image sensor and a second lens configured to pass incident light onto the second image sensor; 
 
 a control interface configured to receive a remotely generated control signal; and
 a body-insertable actuator communicatively coupled to the control interface and configured to support the stereo camera and to be activated by the remotely generated control signal to manipulate the stereo camera and shared implantable housing including rotation about a pan axis orthogonal to the imaging device, rotation about a tilt axis having a direction of an elongated axis of the imaging device, and movement along a zoom direction in response to the control signal while the stereo camera and actuator are within a body cavity, wherein the zoom direction extends from a camera end of the body-insertable stereo camera. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes:
 a pan actuator including a pan motor to manipulate the camera about the pan axis; and 
 a tilt actuator including a tilt motor to manipulate the camera about the tilt axis. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a zoom actuator to manipulate the camera along the zoom direction. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the zoom actuator includes:
 a rack and pinion mechanism configured to manipulate the imaging device along the zoom direction; and 
 a stepper motor configured to engage and drive a pinion gear of the rack and pinion mechanism. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first and second image sensors are configured to independently generate image data suitable to construct a three-dimensional (3D) image. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging device includes a light source, wherein the control interface is configured to adjust an intensity of the light source in response to the control signal. 
     
     
       7. The imaging device of  claim 1 , wherein the control interface includes an RF transceiver configured to receive a remotely generated wireless control signal. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , including a remote control device, wherein the remote control device includes:
 a processor configured to receive image data from the body-insertable imaging device; and 
 a second control interface communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to a motion control module configured to generate the control signal in response to input received via the second control interface. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to receive input from a joystick controller. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to receive input from a microphone, and
 wherein the processor includes a speech recognition module configured to detect voice commands. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the body-insertable imaging device includes a second camera sharing the housing with the first camera, wherein the second camera comprises a second image sensor and a second lens configured to pass incident light onto the second image sensor, and wherein the first and second image sensors are configured to independently provide image data to the processor suitable to construct a three-dimensional (3D) image. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , including a 3D display communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the 3D display includes a first projector configured to display image date received from the first image sensor and a second projector to concurrently display image data received from the second image sensor. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the motion control module is configured to track objects in the 3D image. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the motion control module is configured to identify image data and track the image data in the 3D image. 
     
     
       15. The imaging device of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to rotate the image data in the 3D image. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first image sensor includes at least one of a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor and a CMOS sensor, and
 wherein the processor includes a video display module configured to convert image data received from the first image sensor to video data for display on a two-dimensional (2D) video monitor. 
 
     
     
       17. An imaging device comprising:
 a light source; 
 a body-insertable stereo camera, comprising:
 a first image sensor and a second image sensor within a shared implantable housing having a first lens opening and a second lens opening; 
 a first lens configured to pass incident light onto the first image sensor and a second lens configured to pass incident light onto the second image sensor, wherein the first and second image sensors are configured to independently provide image data to an external device for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) image; 
 
 a control interface configured to receive a remotely generated control signal; and 
 a body-insertable actuator communicatively coupled to the control interface and configured to support the stereo camera and to be activated by the remotely generated control signal to manipulate the stereo camera and the shared implantable housing, including rotation about a pan axis orthogonal to the imaging device, rotation about a tilt axis having a direction of an elongated axis of the imaging device, and movement along a zoom direction in response to the control signal while the stereo camera and actuator are within a body cavity, including manipulate the stereo camera and the shared implantable housing along the zoom direction while the stereo camera is in a panned position, wherein the zoom direction extends from a camera end of the body-insertable stereo camera. 
 
     
     
       18. The imaging device of  claim 17 , wherein the actuator includes:
 a tilt mechanism including a tilt actuator to manipulate the stereo camera about the tilt axis; and 
 a pan mechanism including a pan actuator to manipulate the stereo camera about the pan axis. 
 
     
     
       19. The imaging device of  claim 18 , wherein the actuator includes a zoom mechanism including a zoom actuator to manipulate the stereo camera along the zoom direction, wherein the zoom direction extends out from a distal end of the stereo camera. 
     
     
       20. The imaging device of  claim 19 , wherein the zoom mechanism includes:
 a rack and pinion mechanism configured to manipulate the imaging device forward and backward along a zoom direction; and 
 a stepper motor configured to engage and drive a pinion gear of the rack and pinion mechanism. 
 
     
     
       21. The imaging device of  claim 17 , wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting diode (LED), and wherein the control interface is configured to adjust an intensity of the light source in response to the control signal. 
     
     
       22. The imaging device of  claim 17 , wherein the control interface is configured to receive the control signal from a joystick controller. 
     
     
       23. The imaging device of  claim 17 , wherein the control interface includes an RF transceiver and is configured to wirelessly receive the control signal from the joystick controller. 
     
     
       24. A method of making a stereo camera for a body-insertable imaging device, comprising:
 forming two openings on an end of a shared lens housing of implantable material; 
 fixing a lens in each opening; 
 placing an image sensor into each opening of the shared lens housing behind a lens; and 
 attaching the stereo camera and shared lens housing to an actuator movable about a pan axis orthogonal to the imaging device and a tilt axis having a direction of an elongated axis of the imaging device and along a zoom direction when the stereo camera, shared lens housing, and the actuator are inserted into a body cavity, wherein the zoom direction extends from a camera end of the body-insertable stereo camera. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , including fixing a sapphire in front of each lens. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , wherein fixing a lens in each opening includes fixing a pin-hole lens in each opening, and wherein placing an image sensor includes placing a CCD sensor into each opening behind a pin hole lens. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 24 , wherein attaching the stereo camera to an actuator includes attaching the stereo camera to an actuator movable about a pan axis, a tilt axis, and along a zoom direction, wherein the zoom direction extends from a distal end of the stereo camera.